Membrane skinners adapted to remove the thin membranes from steak, or skinners adapted to remove the skin from fish, have long been in use. These machines are distinguished in the trade from pork skinners, for example, which remove a much thicker layer of skin from pork bellies, although the two types of skinners are similar in construction. The gripper rolls of prior membrane skinners usually have a plurality of straight serrations on the surface thereof which are parallel to the axis of the roll. A stripper roll with either straight or helically disposed serrations is disposed adjacent the gripper roll to remove the separated membrane or skin from the gripper roll. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,893 issued May 26, 1970, for example. One of the problems created by the conventional structure of the prior art is that fat and other meat particles lodge between the serrations of the gripper roll during the membrane removal process. It is therefore necessary to subject the gripper roll to air or water jets to remove these particles. The use of the air or water jets adds to the expense of the machine, and the water disposal process creates further problems.